Page 33 - South Mississippi Living - December, 2025

Mezze Platter
Baklava
Chicken Shawarma
baba ganouj silky and smoky from roasted eggplant, and the muhammara—a roasted red pepper dip topped with walnuts—bright and tangy with a hint of heat. The labneh added a milky, savory contrast. The dolmas, stuffed with herbed rice and served cold alongside a dill-forward yogurt sauce called cacik.
For our mains, the chicken shawarma was tender, aromatic, and layered with
spice, served alongside saffron rice and
crisp vegetables for contrast. The lamb chops were equally memorable—rich, generously seasoned, and perfectly marbled, with just enough fat left on the bone to create that indulgent, melt-in-your-mouth flavor.
Between courses, I sampled a new
creation: pumpkin hummus topped with roasted pumpkin seeds, smoky harissa, and fresh cilantro. The pumpkin added an earthy sweetness that played beautifully against the tangy hummus—a true autumn twist on a classic.
Dessert brought pure joy. The baklava, warm and buttery, shimmered with honey, and pistachios, delicately adorned with rose petals. The kulfi, a dense, South Asian ice cream infused with rose and pistachio, was paired with a rose preserve so floral and honeyed it tasted like summer captured in syrup.
Next door, Chef Fariha’s daughter
Alize and son-in-law Matt carry the same intentional spirit into Common Grounds Coffee. Matt, an Australian, insisted I try their Flat White—a coffeehouse staple down under. Creamy, velvety, and coffee- forward, it was the perfect companion to their almond shortbread and haldi doodh cookies, the latter spiced like a golden milk latte baked into a cookie.
At By the Fig & the Olive, everything— from the ingredients to the ambiance—is rooted in Ayurvedic principles of balance and wellbeing. It’s food that nourishes not only your body but your spirit. And in a world that moves too fast, this little sanctuary in Ocean Springs invites you to slow down, savor, and reconnect.
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